Buckle.



e. L. GILBERTHORPEQ BUCKLE.

APPLICATION FILED JULY 31.1914.

7 Patented 1511.16, 1917.

GEORGE LEWIS GILBERTHORPE, 0F CI-IATSWOOD, NEAR SYDNEY, NEW SOUTH WALES,AUSTRALIA, ASSIGNOIR, T0 GILBERTHORPE BUCKLE LIMITED, 0F SYDNEY, NEWSOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA, A CORPORATION OF NEW SOUTH WALES, AUSTRALIA.

BUCKLE.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE LEWIs GIL-BERTHORPE, a citizen of the Commonwealth of Australia, residing atChatswood, near ordinary combined tongue and chape buckle,

and to wholly dispense with the piercings Y commonly made in leather andfabric straps and bands to admit of the tongue beinginserted therein, anumber of such piercings being provided to meet the varying dimensionsof articles, &c., which it is required to encircle. a

The invention can be applied to all kinds of leather and fabricstrappings which require to be secured in variable positions, and iscapable of being more accurately ad usted and much more quickly andsecurely fastened than ordinary tongue buckles may be. Its constructionembraces the use of a main keeper frame, having parallel side. piecessetthe width of the strap apart, and joined together by two or moretransverse bars designated keeper and seating bars. To the former oneend of the strap is secured, while the latter is used to take thetransverse pressure of a tumbling plate carried upon side projectingpins which are inserted in the parallel parts of the keeper frame. Thesemay be upwardly flanged for the purpose. There may be two such tumblingplates, one made to overlap the other and having a turned over partarranged to interlock with the sub-tumbler. Each tumbler is made asuitable width, to allow its gripping edge, which is on the heavy sideof the pivots, coming sufliciently near to its companion seating bar,that when the leather or fabric is placed between them, a tightening andgripping contact may be produced when the material isvstrained in thedesired direction. The tumbler or tumblers may be made in a variety ofshapes, slightly curved downwardly from the projecting pin, the reverseedge being curved in the contrary direction, so that when the strain onthe fabric is oppositely applied, the tumbler will kick away from thefabric, and a reverse motion be imparted to it which will wholly freethe mate- Specification of Letters Patent.

rial and provide for the smooth running of the fabric between the'parts.The keeper frame may be formed with flat marginal parts to give it theappearance of an ordinary buckle, and the flanges to receive thetumblerplate'pins may be turned at right angles thereto.

The buckle is equallyserviceable for heavy and light leather andfabrics, the tumbler in either case being capable of short grippingadjustment by which slack is avoided such as occurs in straps which arepierced and associated with a tongued buckle.

The invention can be applied as a fastening for wearing apparel andharness and such like.

Referring to the accompanying drawings,

which form part of this specification: Fig" ure 1 is a plan of a bucklemade according to this invention, with double tumbling plates inengagement with each other, the main keeper frame having vertical sideparts associated with fiat attachment, seating, and keeper bars. Fig. 2is a central, vertical, sectional elevation on line aa of Fig. 1,showing tumbler plates set in their gripping and engaged positions. Fig.3 is a central, vertical, sectional elevation also on lineaa pf Fig. 1,but showing tumbler plates in their reversed positions, leaving strapfree running. Fig. 4 is a plan, showing a buckle with a single tumblingplate, the keeper frame having flat marginal side parts with turned upflanges, also flat attachment, seating, and keeper bars. Fig. 5 is acentral, vertical, sectional elevation on line bb of Fig. 4, showingtumbling plate in the engaged position. Fig. 6 is a central, vertical,sectional elevation also on line bb of Fig. 4, but with tumbling platein the reversed position, leaving strap free running. Fig. 7 is a side,elevation of a single tumbling .plate buckle, with .turned up flangesarranged with the tumbling plate for gripping the inserted materialtransversely.

In carrying this invention into effect so as to embrace the use ofvarious kindsof pliant material, and also material of a stiff nature,some slight modifications would be necessary in the arrangement andconstruction of the parts, both of the buckle frame and the tumblingplate or plates, so as to obtain the desired gripping or vise likeaction which is essential to prevent displacement when ten- IPatenteddan. 16, 1917.

Application filed July 31, 1914. Serial No. 854,312.

sion or strain is put upon the material. But in all cases the sameessential combination of parts, comprised in the use of a swingingtumbling plate or plates and a seating bar or bars, is employed.

The main keeper frame of the buckle is preferably formed of a singlepiece of metal stamped out to the required shape, whether the sidepieces be arranged vertically as in Figs. 2 and 3, or fiat with verticalup-turned parts, as in Figs. 4:, 5, and 6. In Figs. 1 and 3, the saidframe is formed with a transverse attachment bar A, around which thestrap B or the looped end B of the strap B, is secured. In closeproximity is the keeper bar C, separated from the transverse attachmentbar A by the opening D to receive the forward end B of the strap B. Aseating bar A is disposed oppositely to the bar A, and a further keeperbar 0, separated from A by the opening D completes What may be termedthe foundation part of the frame. It will be observed that of the fourtransverse bars of the frame the attachment and seating bar are the twomiddle bars, leaving a rather broad interval between them, the other twobars being in close proximity to them respectively and leaving onlyspace for the passage of the strap. Vertical side parts E are, in thefirst instance, shaped out of the flat sheet metal of which the bucklemay be construct ed, and are subsequently turned upward at right anglesto the foundation part being extended forward over the latter, thus thewhole frame can be formed when stamped.

In Fig. 4, the side parts E are shown flat, and the turned up flanges Eare provided to support the tumbler plate F, and are pierced for thepivot pins F which are an integral part of the tumbler plate F, to movein. Each plate is provided with a gripping edge F which is turned overto provide a stifiening at that edge, and serves as an additional weighton that side. The location of the pivots F is determined by the desireddistance the gripping edge F 2 is to be away from the edge of theseating bar A plus the thickness of the material to lie between thosetwo parts.

Where double tumbling plates are used, the parts F 2 would both have abearing upon the fabric, and in Fig. 2, one of such would be in contactwith the fabric passing around and over the attachment bar A, which, inthis case, serves as a seating bar the same as A WVhen the strap B ispassed through the opening D and over the seating bar A and carriedforward onto the loop B with the tumblers in their reversed position asshown in Fig. 3, and if the end B be inserted in the opening D, noimpediment is offered to its free movement, but, when the plates F arethrown over with the gripping edges F pressing down upon the material, akink is formed in the material, and if tension or strain be applied, thegripping edges are drawn downwardly, and a self tightening effectproduced, which prevents the liberation of the material thus confined asin a vise. The looking or engagement of these two plates is obtained bythe hook part F formed on the one plate, entering into the piercing F ofthe other plate.

In Fig. 3, the direction of movement of the tumbling plates to insurethe proper contact and the desired bending of the fabric by the grippingedges F is indicated by the circular arrows.

Where a single tumbling plate is employed, as in Figs. 4: to 7, thefunctional use of the gripping edge F is the same as where doubletumbling plates are used, but both transverse edges F and F can beutilized for gripping purposes, F pressing down upon the fabric passingover attachment and seating bar A, and F pressing against the fabricpassing over the seating bar A The tension put upon the fabric in thedirection indicated by the arrows, is productive of the necessarygripping action in the same manner as for the double tumbling plates inFig. 2.

To use the tumbler plate in a keeper frame where the fabric to begripped is laid as shown in Fig. 7, a single seating bar A is used, andthe tumbling plate F pivoted in between hook shaped vertical side partsE the action of the tumbler being essentially the same as beforedescribed.

Having now described my invention, what I consider novel and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is 1. A buckle frame having four fixedtransverse bars, the two middle ones being arranged with a considerableinterval between them and the other two bars being arranged as keeperbars in proximity to the said two middle bars, to be used as described,in combination with a pair of reversible tumbler plates arranged to bindsaid strap against said middle bars in one of the positions of saidtumbler plates, one of said tumbler plates being provided with a slotand the other with a hooked part for entering said slot to lock saidtumblers against endwise or lateral separation.

2. A buckle frame having a pair of raised rigid side-parts and fourtransverse bars, in combination with a pair of reversible tumblerplates, pivoted near their middle points to said side parts and'arrangedto grip a strap against the two middle bars, the stra being attached toone of said middle bars and passed between them and the other two bars,which serve as keepers, and the said tumbler plates being constructed tointer lock with each other by a hook and a slot when in their grippingposition.

3. A buckle frame provided with a pair of raised rigid side parts andfour rigid transverse bars, two of these bars being an attachment barand a seating bar arranged with a considerable interval between them,and the other two bars being keeper-bars arranged at slight intervalsfrom the other bars for the passage of a strap between them, and meansfor gripping a strap against said seating bar at least, said means 10being pivoted to said raised side parts.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GEORGE LEWIS GILBERTHORPE.

Witnesses:

REG. W. S. HARRIS, E.' C. BARNES.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. G.

